The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

Miriam at the River by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Khoa Le Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Kathy Bloomfield This is a beautifully told, exquisitely illustrated midrash about Miriam putting her brother, Moses, into the Nile River to save him from Pharaoh’s death decree. Jane Yolen is a master storyteller, and she once again proves this with simple words, written in free verse as lilting and calming as the river’s water. The reader learns about Miriam and her prophecies regarding Moses. She has seen the Pharaoh’s daughter pick her brother from the water. She has seen the Red Sea part, and while she is not sure what all her visions mean, she knows that her brother will live to become a great man. The illustrations are breathtaking. Using digital methods supplemented by traditional overlays of watercolor and natural textures, and blues, browns and splashes of red - the colors of the river, the strength of Miriam, the calmness of Moses, and the beauty of Pharaoh’s daughter unf

Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale with a Tail by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Susan Gal Category: Picture Book Reviewer: Anna Caplan In Lesléa Newman’s gentle picture book Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale with a Tail, the Passover seder is rich with sensory experience. It’s also a little bit magical. Using simple, lyrical prose, Newman takes readers on a journey through two separate worlds: a boy experiences the seder indoors while a stray kitten wanders outside. Although the boy and the kitten occupy different spaces, their experiences echo one another: Inside, the boy dipped parsley into salt water. Outside, the kitten chewed A wet blade of grass. Inside, the boy broke the middle matzo in half. outside, the kitten split a twig in two. This soothing pattern of phrases beginning with “inside” and “outside” continues throughout the book. The repetition propels readers forward towards the inevitable meeting between boy and kitten. When they eventually meet

Trailblazers: Albert Einstein by Paul Virr, illustrated by Artful Doodlers Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Stacy Nockowitz Paul Virr’s biography of “the greatest mind in physics” begins not with Einstein’s birth in 1879 but with the event that thrust the German-born scientist into the public spotlight: the solar eclipse of 1919. The scientific study of the eclipse, Virr says, proved Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, transforming the humble patent clerk into a worldwide celebrity. Virr hooks his middle grade reader not with boring dates and discussions of family lineage but by telling the personal stories that reveal how Einstein became a revered global figure. Trailblazers: Albert Einstein is part of the Trailblazers biography series, which attempts to hit the sweet spot for middle grade students between the elementary-level Who Is? series and more in-depth (aka dull) biographies on library shelves. Virr should be applauded for his efforts here, considering his valian

You're the Cheese in My Blintz by Leslie Kimmelman, illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki Category: Board Book Reviewer: Kathy Bloomfield Using lilting, rhyming verse, this delightful board book conveys what is in every parent’s heart – the depth of love they have for their baby: “In my blintz, you’re the cheese./To my heart, you’re the keys./ You’re the joy of each Shabbat./ You’re the soup in my pot./You’re the hip in my hooray/…the sweet peace of every day…” and so on. Most pages depict a single parent and child enjoying some activity together, e.g. a picnic of blintzes and strawberries, a Shabbat dinner, dancing around the room. The parents and children depicted represent a multicultural, ethnic mix as well as a range of Jewish observance, which is lovely and rare to see in books for a Jewish audience. The illustrations are charming, using a muted color palette with simple expressions to represent joy, wonder, peace and more. This is a wonderful title for new parents.

It's time once again to meet your Sydney Taylor Shmooze admins! Three friends run this blog: Susan Kusel (whose brainchild it was) and her partners in crime, Chava Pinchuck and Heidi Rabinowitz. You can read a bit about us in the About section but we thought you might like to get to know each of us a little better. In this final installment, it's Susan's turn. Susan Kusel visiting the Yiddish Book Center 1. Describe a day in your professional life.  Library at Temple Rodef Shalom, Falls Church,VA I love being a solo synagogue librarian because so many different things could happen in one day. I answer reference questions on every topic from board books to Talmuds, and have patrons every age from 2 to 92. I work with our volunteers, religious school, nursery school, clergy, adult education and temple book clubs. I select new books, buy, process and catalog them. I sort through boxes of donations and see what can be added to the library. I do story times. Oh,

Once again, it's time to meet your Sydney Taylor Shmooze admins! Three friends run this blog: Susan Kusel (whose brainchild it was) and her partners in crime, Chava Pinchuck and Heidi Rabinowitz. You can read a bit about us in the About section but we thought you might like to get to know each of us a little better. Today it's Chava's turn. Chava Pinchuck 1. Describe a day in your professional life. My professional life is very quiet compared to Heidi's . I am usually sitting at my desk, working on the computer. I spend a good portion of the day doing research and looking at book reviews. 2. Talk about your experience on the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee.  L-R: Chava Pinchuck with 2010 STBA winner April Halprin Wayland My time on the committee was one of the best experiences of my life, both personally and professionally. I read so many great books (and a few duds), I learned so much about Jewish Children's Literature and secular children&#

It's time to meet your Sydney Taylor Shmooze admins! Three friends run this blog: Susan Kusel (whose brainchild it was) and her partners in crime, Chava Pinchuck and Heidi Rabinowitz. You can read a bit about us in the About section but we thought you might like to get to know each of us a little better. Today it's Heidi's turn. Heidi Rabinowitz 1. Describe a day in your professional life. Purim puppet show Things I hear every day: "Miss Heidi, what are we reading about today?" "Another book, please!"  "I'm going to Disney World tomorrow!" "I have a dog!" "The! End!" "I love you, Miss Heidi." Things I say every day: "Everybody say 'Hi, Miss Heidi!'" "Do you hear the rhyming in this book?" "You get what you get and you don't get upset." "Take your finger out of your nose." "What a good question!" "I love you too." Things